Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-27

interfere in any way with any of the
various departments of the Federal
| Government. The wine growers oi
this State should definitely and unani-
mously settle upon some plan OF
action, and clearly express in some
specific terms just what pure wine
legislation they desire. There were
only about $1,000 bills introduced in
the last Congress.
Congressman FELTON, was of the
opinion that it would be impossible to
get bill through Congress that would
allow California wine-growers to forti-
fy with grape brandy and not allow
Eastern wine-makers to fortify their
wines with neutral spirits. The East
ern men claim that the grai es of the
East have not sufficient sugar to en-
able brandy to be made. When the
plea was made for purity of wine the
manufacturer of spirits said that thou
sands of gallons of spirits were sent
to California and used in wines. Mr..
FELTON, said that the statement was
correct.
Chairman Doyle-You mean to say
that it was sent to California; you
don't know that it was used in wine,
do you?
Mr.. Felton--Yes, l know that it was
sent to California and used i'll wine
making.
Mr.. FELTON, then went on to speak of
the contest in regard to the Fractional
Gallon bill.
Congressman McKenna gave it as
his opinion that the wine-makers will
get no relief from Congress at the next
session. The great difficulty is that
California gets no place in the princi-
pal committees, and all California's
interests are before those committees.
The whole question is whether the
customs or internal revenue charges
should be reduced
Chairman Doyle was of the opinion
that the principal question was
whether the viticulturists Of this state
would insist on having a prre-wine
law and the fortifcation of wines with
grape brandy alone, or whether con-
cessions would be made that would
allow eastern wine growers to fortify
with grain spirits.
C. II. Wetmore spoke at length ON
the subjects under discussion. He
stated that California was the only
district in the United States that
could make pure, sweet wine.
To make sweet wine in the
East they use their dry wine,
sugar and neutral spirits. He ex-
planned that the defeat of the Cali
a~f x,-;,,n a,,,nnI,,nv,f To tho
Fractional Gallon Bill was fight be-
tween the distilling interests of Peoria,
ILL.,, and Chicago and Cincinnati. He
did not think that any concessions
would be of any benefit to the viticul-
turists of this State; that if any re-
medal legislation ON the question is to
be asked for, it must be similar in
effect to that before Congress at its
last session; in other words, to get
permission to fortify California wines
with grape brandy without duty.
Arpad Haraszthy thought that first
a pure wine law should be enacted
and then law with reference to the
fortification of sweet wines. He put
dry wines into two classes: Pure juice
of the grape; then, as concession to
Eastern producers, that with an addi-
ton OF sugar previous to fermentation.
All other wines he would tax. He
would be in favor of allowing a man to
fortify his sweet wines with brandy
made by himself without any tax, but
he would not allow him to sell his
brandy to his neighboi for that pur-
pose without paying an internal reve-
nue. tax upon it.
Professor Hilgard, in answer to
question by the Chairman, stated that
there was no popular test by which
the different kinds of alcohol could be
detected in wine.
The Conference finally adjourned
definite action.-[San Fran
cisco Alta.